Loaches are distributed throughout the world, but unevenly. They are found in Central Asia, Europe (with the exception of North), Africa and Southeast Asia. Loaches are not found in Australia, in both Americas, or in the rivers of the Arctic Ocean basin. True, species are constantly migrating, and the situation could change.
Freshwater fish of Russia were described in detail by the famous zoologist and popularizer of the 19th century L.P. Sabaneev. We know about the habits, lifestyle and some specific features of loaches from his works.
Classification
Loaches belong to the large order of Cyprinidae. In turn, the family is divided into three subfamilies: loach-like, loach-like and loach-like. Loaches themselves are classified as loaches, including the most common loach in our country, the common loach, as well as loaches. There are about 15 genera of loach-like species; This subfamily demonstrates the greatest “breadth of views”: some representatives of the group prefer cold, fast-flowing mountain rivers, others (blind loaches) prefer the stagnant waters of caves.
Loach-like loaches are widespread in Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. It is in these countries that the most ancient representatives of loaches were discovered. Botia and Leptobotia are supplied to Europe as aquarium fish. The famous clown belongs to the Botsia family, which can be found in any pet store. In general, the loach family is not very numerous, but ichthyologists continue to discover new species to this day.
Mr. Tail recommends: variety of loach species
The Loach family includes more than 170 species, which are grouped into 26 genera and 2 subfamilies. Among the most famous varieties are:
- Common spined loach. This is the smallest representative of the Vyunovs. Lives throughout Europe. They are most widespread in the countries of the former CIS and Asia (China, Japan). The length of the body reaches a maximum length of 10 cm, the color is light yellow with large spots on the sides.
- Common loach. Just like the previous species, it prefers water bodies in Europe and Asia. It is larger and ranges from 14 to 30 cm in length. The body has a brown tint, and the abdomen is colored yellow. Darker, almost black, small spots appear in large numbers on the scales.
- Amur loach. It prefers to settle in reservoirs in northern Asia, Siberia, Sakhalin, Japan, and China. This is the largest representative of the family, grows up to 25-35 cm, the scales are light yellow with a copper or brown tint.
general characteristics
Loaches live and feed near the bottom. This feature determines the appearance of loaches: all members of the family have an elongated body, slab-shaped or ribbon-like, and sometimes a slightly flattened head. The mouth of loaches is located below. The dorsal fin is short. The scales are predominantly very small and thoroughly covered with mucus, which protects the body of the loach from mechanical damage. However, there are also completely naked fish. The eyes are small. In some species they are covered with transparent skin (again, for protection). A mandatory attribute of each member of the family is antennae. There can be from 3 to 6 pairs. The nostrils of loaches are elongated tubes. Loaches and loaches have retractable under-eye spines. A prick from such a thorn can cause inflammation. The subocular thorn is a relatively effective measure against birds of prey.
Fish of the loach family do not like bright light and become active closer to night. In general, loaches are inactive and secretive (this does not apply only to some loaches). Many members of the family have a tendency to bury themselves in mud or sand. There they not only hunt for small crustaceans and larvae, but also wait out unfavorable times - for example, drought.
This is what Misgurnus fossilis, or common loach, looks like. The photo gives a good idea of the location of the tactile whiskers:
Area and description
These fish live in the rivers of Europe and Asia, as well as in Lake Baikal. They prefer bodies of water with a quiet current, prone to swamping, where there is a lot of algae, and there is a thick layer of silt at the bottom. These can be not only natural (rivers), but also artificial water bodies (ponds). They lead a benthic lifestyle with rare ascents to the surface. Loaches are extremely tenacious; they can stay in the moist mud of a drying up reservoir for quite a long time and thus wait out a temporary drought.
Photo gallery of Vyunov:
The most common loach
Misgurnus fossilis, which lives in silted reservoirs and swampy rivers in many European countries, is the most famous representative of the family. Sabaneev wrote that Russian fishermen mostly neglected it due to its small size (about 25 cm), although in some provinces (for example, Minsk), the loach was popular as a tasty and easily accessible ingredient for fish soup. In Germany it was customary to cook it in beer or vinegar. Loaches were also dried for the winter.
In reality, the loach is not only small, but also not particularly attractive: it is covered with mucus and, when pulled out of the water, wriggles and squeaks furiously. All fish of the loach family have the ability to breathe atmospheric air, taking it into the mouth and passing it through the hind intestine. The latter is an auxiliary respiratory organ. When the air comes out, a specific sound is heard, similar to a squeak. Thanks to intestinal respiration, loaches are very resilient: they can survive for more than a week in a bucket of stale water if it is covered with hay. Therefore, loaches are often stored for future use as bait for large fish: catfish, burbot, pike, eel.
Some representatives
The family includes many species that differ in appearance and habitat. Its most famous representative is the fish bindweed or loach , which gave it its name. This inhabitant of fresh water bodies in Europe is characterized by its small size, yellow-brown color with black stripes on the sides. However, you can also find albinos whose bodies are completely white. The fish is also found in the Black, Baltic, Caspian seas, and in the basins of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
Body length is no more than 25 cm, scales are smooth and small. The eyes and gills are small in size, the fins are rounded, which helps the bindweed to deftly evade pursuit of even the most experienced fisherman. Another feature is that the body is covered with specific mucus. Lying at the bottom, buried in wet mud, bindweed is able to survive for some time even when the reservoir dries out.
It prefers to hide at the bottom, buried in silt, and most often lives in bodies of water with little current, wetlands with dense aquatic vegetation. Tolerates low oxygen levels well. Due to the specific nature of breathing, the fish needs to replenish its air supply, so in the dark it rises to the surface. Enterprising fishermen take advantage of this fact by setting appropriate traps.
Spawning occurs in the spring, the number of eggs in one clutch is up to 100 thousand, while individuals that are already 2 years old begin to reproduce. The manner of swimming, wriggling, gives the fish the property of snakes.
Another interesting feature of this fish is the ability to make sounds, for which loaches are often called squeaky ones. They draw air into the food canal, and then, rising to the surface, release it through the anus. The result is a specific sound, an analogue of non-gill breathing.
Tibetan and European char
Tibetan loach has a naked body, the average size is 12-15 cm, you can recognize the fish by a specific fold running from the eyes to the mouth. It prefers to live in the mountain rivers of Tibet and the Aral Sea, hiding on their rocky bottom. Interestingly, this char can survive even low temperatures, but at the same time feels comfortable in warm water. Its food consists of insects.
Interesting features
In fact, the loach is really tasty: its meat is soft, fatty and cooks quickly. Asians (Japanese and Indonesians) not only hunt, but even breed some species of loaches for food. In Europe, loaches and loaches are caught with fishing rods (in summer) and traps (in winter). Fish of the loach family prefer animal food: small crustaceans, caddisfly larvae, caviar, worms and mollusks. By the way, the loach copes well with mosquitoes (or rather, their larvae): if you dig a pond in your summer cottage and populate it with loaches, you will no longer have to suffer from annoying insects.
And finally, the loach is widely used as a barometer. It reacts sensitively to changes in atmospheric pressure: it floats to the surface, sticks out of the water and generally behaves restlessly, which is not typical for it. Loach can even “predict” earthquakes.
Exotic loaches in the aquarium hobby
In the 19th century, it became fashionable to keep fish at home, organize exhibitions and share experiences. Peasants caught ordinary river fish and delivered them alive to Moscow and St. Petersburg. However, as you know, freshwater fish in Russia are relatively few in number. Aquarists wanted more variety. This is how the demand for exotic fish arose. But Asian loaches appeared in Russia only in the second half of the 20th century. The first were Acanthopthalmus (Loach-like subfamily) and Botia (Loach-like subfamily). Like their European relatives, “Asians” are distinguished by their variegated colors, characteristic of bottom-dwelling fish. Its most common variant is a combination of yellow and black (gray) spots or stripes.
Here is a typical acanthophthalmus, a worm-like striped loach. The photo is not the best, but all the signs of loaches (variegated color, mustache, body shape, short dorsal fin) are obvious:
Clown botia
The most famous ornamental fish of the loach family is the clown loach (the name, apparently, is explained by its bright, “cheerful” striped color and active character). The homeland of this fish is the islands of Kalimantan and Sumatra. The body of the clown is unexpectedly short, compact for a loach, torpedo-shaped, with triangular reddish fins. Usually its length is no more than 17 cm. Externally, clowns resemble South American Corydoras catfish - due to a similar lifestyle.
These bots have antennae and an infraorbital spine; they are omnivorous, cheerful and peaceful. Although these fish are also capable of intestinal respiration, they are more dependent on the purity of water and its oxygen saturation than European loaches. Also, they should not be housed with territorial, aggressive fish (for example, cichlids) and treated with copper preparations. But in general, the clown loach is an unpretentious fish.
